09-30-2005, 11:40 PM
I've been browsing the WoW forums and the general take of Druids on the new Moonkin form (on the test servers) seems to be: What is it for? and, I'm always out of mana!
The Moonkin form is (going to be) the end talent in the Druid Balance tree in 1.08. It offers +360% armor and +3% spell crit rate. Downsides: Can only cast balance spells (Hurricane, Starfire, Wrath, Roots, Thorns, Moonfire.) Cannot cast healing spells (of course); cannot use items or potions or drink; weapons don't proc (though they are still used in melee.)
** "What is it for?" -- Druids still can't go toe-to-toe with Warriors and Rogues; you're still better off rooting and casting from a distance. (Casting Moonfire resets your weapon swing as it always has.) Moonkin form vs casters is pointless suicide, naturally.
** "I'm always out of mana!" -- Shifting forms costs a high percentage of the Druid's mana. Druid mana regeneration (Spirit bonus) is lower than other classes anyhow -- 1 spirit = 1/5 mana regen per tick, not 1/4. Innervate is of course unavailable to the Moonkin. And, the Moonkin can't drink. So you'd shift out to heal and drink, and shift back to Moonkin taking a large chunk of your mana, which you'd either sit around waiting to regen, or start your next fight at a disadvantage.
Anyhow, I'm wondering if the idea of an armored caster is a dud. The advantage of being a caster is to strike enemies from range; being at melee range is a problem not only due to getting hurt but also due to spells being interrupted. To avoid interruption, Druids have Barkskin, which stops spell interrupts due to damage but it increases casting time by 1 sec and swing time by 20%. (They can do this for 15 seconds every fight since Barkskin has 1-min cooldown.)
So to go toe-to-toe in melee with Moonkin, you'd basically be spamming Moonfire ...?? or Barkskin + Hurricane + Moonfire? Your DPS with Starfire or Wrath would be terrible (in melee) due either to being interrupted or to the slowness effect of Barkskin.
The only use I see for Moonkin, really, is handling multiple melee opponents that aren't overpoweringly strong - or similar situation where Roots + casting from a distance in caster-form is impossible to execute.
The question is, is Moonkin better than a Bear or Dire Bear for multiple opponents? Better DPS than Bear? Vs 3+ melee opponents, spam Moonfire on rotation until nearly OOM, then Barkskin, caster form, heal, bearform until mana comes back???
<shrug> Anyhow, the viability of Moonkin form seems rather situational at best. Haven't found any Druid posts which say like so: "Moonkin form ROCKS for X!!"
Any Lurkers been on the test servers with a 40+ Druid and have anything to say about Moonkin?
Am I missing something here? What's the Moonkin scenario? Going toe-to-toe melee and whacking the enemy with a mace and getting a damage boost from casting a Moonfire every few seconds (free when Omen of Clarity procs)?
The Moonkin form is (going to be) the end talent in the Druid Balance tree in 1.08. It offers +360% armor and +3% spell crit rate. Downsides: Can only cast balance spells (Hurricane, Starfire, Wrath, Roots, Thorns, Moonfire.) Cannot cast healing spells (of course); cannot use items or potions or drink; weapons don't proc (though they are still used in melee.)
** "What is it for?" -- Druids still can't go toe-to-toe with Warriors and Rogues; you're still better off rooting and casting from a distance. (Casting Moonfire resets your weapon swing as it always has.) Moonkin form vs casters is pointless suicide, naturally.
** "I'm always out of mana!" -- Shifting forms costs a high percentage of the Druid's mana. Druid mana regeneration (Spirit bonus) is lower than other classes anyhow -- 1 spirit = 1/5 mana regen per tick, not 1/4. Innervate is of course unavailable to the Moonkin. And, the Moonkin can't drink. So you'd shift out to heal and drink, and shift back to Moonkin taking a large chunk of your mana, which you'd either sit around waiting to regen, or start your next fight at a disadvantage.
Anyhow, I'm wondering if the idea of an armored caster is a dud. The advantage of being a caster is to strike enemies from range; being at melee range is a problem not only due to getting hurt but also due to spells being interrupted. To avoid interruption, Druids have Barkskin, which stops spell interrupts due to damage but it increases casting time by 1 sec and swing time by 20%. (They can do this for 15 seconds every fight since Barkskin has 1-min cooldown.)
So to go toe-to-toe in melee with Moonkin, you'd basically be spamming Moonfire ...?? or Barkskin + Hurricane + Moonfire? Your DPS with Starfire or Wrath would be terrible (in melee) due either to being interrupted or to the slowness effect of Barkskin.
The only use I see for Moonkin, really, is handling multiple melee opponents that aren't overpoweringly strong - or similar situation where Roots + casting from a distance in caster-form is impossible to execute.
The question is, is Moonkin better than a Bear or Dire Bear for multiple opponents? Better DPS than Bear? Vs 3+ melee opponents, spam Moonfire on rotation until nearly OOM, then Barkskin, caster form, heal, bearform until mana comes back???
<shrug> Anyhow, the viability of Moonkin form seems rather situational at best. Haven't found any Druid posts which say like so: "Moonkin form ROCKS for X!!"
Any Lurkers been on the test servers with a 40+ Druid and have anything to say about Moonkin?
Am I missing something here? What's the Moonkin scenario? Going toe-to-toe melee and whacking the enemy with a mace and getting a damage boost from casting a Moonfire every few seconds (free when Omen of Clarity procs)?